Heliopsis is a perennial plant of the Asteraceae family, native to central and northern America.
Description of Heliopsis
The Golden Ball reaches 160 cm in height, with straight stems and numerous branches. The opposite leaves are rough and pointed. The flowers are rich yellow or orange with a brown center, and the inflorescences are shaped like heads. The robust root system is fibrous.
Types of Heliopsis
It has many species that differ in color and size.
| View | Description | Leaves | Flowers |
| Rough | 150 cm, stem is hairy. | Covered with short hairs. | Bright yellow, 7 cm in diameter. |
| Lorraine Sunshine | 60-80 cm, stem straight. | Variegated: leaves covered with white spots and veins, small | Small, yellow, round. |
| Summer Knights | 100-120 cm. Brown or burgundy stems. | With a bronze tint. | Orange, with a red tint in the middle. |
| Sunflower | 80-100 cm. | Elliptical and rough. | Profusely blooming yellow flowers, 9 cm in diameter. |
| Loddon Light | 90-110 cm. | Pointed and large. | Light yellow. Medium in size – 8 cm, round. |
| Benzingold | A large decorative species with straight, branched stems. | Rough, rich green. | Double or semi-double, dark orange center, yellow petals. |
| Flame of the Sun | 110-120 cm. Stem elongated. | Dark green, covered with vegetable wax, elongated. | Medium-sized, dark yellow or orange flowers with light brown centers. |
| Ballerina | 90-130 cm. | Large, oval, with pointed ends. | Bright yellow, small. |
| Asahi | 70-80 cm, decorative variety with a characteristic structure. | Thick, dark green in color. | Numerous medium-sized orange-yellow flowers with bright petals and a dark center. |
| Sunset on the Prairie | 160-170 cm, green stem with a purple tint. | Large, elongated towards the end. | Yellow with an orange center, round. |
| Summer sun | 80-100 cm, stems are straight, drought-resistant and unpretentious. | Rich green, medium-sized, covered with hairs. | Rich yellow semi-double inflorescences measuring 6-8 cm. |
| Venus | 110-120 cm, stems are dense, straight. | Oval, large, pointed. | Large and bright, up to 15 cm in diameter. |
| Solar explosion | 70-90 cm. Lateral shoots and branches are developed. | Covered with dark green veins that contrast with the light green surface. | Golden, 7-9 cm in size. Petals are slightly curved. |
| Summer dwarf | 50-60 cm, miniature variety. | Dark green ones are located tightly. | Numerous small orange inflorescences. |
Planting in different ways
Heliopsis can be propagated in two ways: using seedlings and then planting them in open ground, or directly planting them in the garden.
For seedlings, seeds are sown in small containers with a substrate of soil and humus or prepared soil.
- Make drainage holes in the containers and place the seeds at a depth of no more than 1 cm.
- Cover with film or a lid, place in the light, and ventilate 2-3 times a day.
- Water as the soil dries out, once every 3-4 days for the first 2 weeks.
- Maintain bright lighting and a temperature of +25…+32 °C.
- Harden off the flower in April-May, after the sprouts have emerged and the leaves have become stronger.
- Plant at the beginning of May, water regularly for the first week until the heliopsis is fully adapted.
Sowing seeds in open ground:
- Planting in October-November.
- Mix the soil with sand and peat.
- The distance between rows is about 70 cm, between plants – 50-70 cm.
- Do not plant seeds deeper than 3 cm.
- When sowing in spring (April-May), you should keep the seeds in the refrigerator for about a month to artificially stratify them.
- After the sprouts emerge, if they are too close together, they need to be thinned out or some plants need to be replanted. Heliopsis requires a lot of space.
Plant care
Although heliopsis is unpretentious, certain requirements should be observed when caring for it:
- Water regularly, but not too often, otherwise rotting will begin.
- Carry out tying up of tall varieties to supports.
- After flowering, cut off faded flowers and remove stems in the fall.
- Weed regularly and fertilize the soil with peat or humus.
- Place the flower on the southern, well-lit side.
Formation, preparation for winter
To encourage heliopsis to branch out rather than grow upward, pinch or remove shoot tips before flowering. This will make the plant weather-resistant but delay flowering.
Before wintering, heliopsis is cut back to about 12 cm from the ground. By spring, the plant will again produce new shoots.
